Strangers From Outside
by sat-anpu
Summary: Set 12 years after Jen and Kira heal the Dark Crystal, their daughter Aletha, finds out that she and her family aren't the last Gelfling at all.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Sorry, no Skekses or Uru in this story. :p In fact, this has really nothing to do with the original "dark crystal"(now known as the Crystal of Truth). I haven't gotten too far into it yet but the actual story is much broader than that crappy summary I gave you. So yes, Jen, Kira, and their daughter Aletha, are not the last Gelfling. There are others, but you'll have to wait to meet them. This story is actually an allegory(to what I won't tell; I have only written 7 chapters so far) so there might be fantasy racial elements(big hint) in here eventually. Currently, it takes place 12 years after Jen/Kira healed the Dark Crystal, with Aletha being the main protagonist. Please, leave reviews so I know that you enjoy this story! The more reviews you leave, the faster I put up more chapters. Also, the Dark Crystal and its characters don't belong to me. Brian Froud owns his characters of course. Aletha, however, is my creation.

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1

The heavens were serene and silent, a testament to the fact that there were no people around for miles. Even then, the population was considerably small in the Valley. Scattered Podling "villages" were hidden in the dormant forests that bordered the swamplands in the center of the Valley. The swamplands were the most active places in the Valley; life never stopped breathing.

Yet on the rolling hills far from the Castle, Aletha could finally hear her thoughts. She felt a strong connection with these hilltops. There were old stones lined up in seven circles spread out throughout the hillsides. Aughra had told her why that area was so special and sacred; it was a place where her Gelfling ancestors could come and examine the stars.

There were 49 Gelfling who had met on those hills nearly 8 centuries ago to discuss certain ways on how to heal the Dark Crystal. That was when the Prophecy had been born; that there would be a Gelfling child who would find the Crystal Shard to heal the Dark Crystal. The 49 Gelfling astronomers and seers put their prophecy in stone, in what came to be known as the Wall of Destiny.

At least, that was what Aughra had told Aletha. _But now they're gone_, she thought. _All the Gelfling are gone except me and my parents. All of them were killed by the Skekses_. Tears came into Aletha's dark eyes. She was only 13 years old, and even then she felt like she was a century old. She knew she would die alone since she had been born alone. There were no other children to play with when she was little, except the Podlings, but they were _so_ different. Podling children were hyperactive, and often roughhoused to the point where they would injure each other. Aletha had been different; she wanted gentle companionship and someone to relate to. Her parents, Jen and Kira, were the _only_ people she could relate to.

Aletha had been born 12 years after Jen and Kira had healed the Dark Crystal. Now known as the Crystal of Truth, there had been complete peace throughout the Valley. It was ultimately the UrSkeks who had brought on that peace. _I hate the UrSkeks no less_, Aletha thought. _It is their fault that they split the Crystal in the first place. They killed my entire race off_. Aletha wiped her tears away. She could not change the past, and her future would never be altered. The only true companion she had was the furry little creature named Fizzgig. The Podlings domesticated the dog-like creature called "Fizzgig," yet her mother had always called the animal by the name it was referred to by the Podlings.

Even now, Fizzgig wasn't there with her. Her landstrider named Fijj made snorting sounds, obviously hungry. There were no tall trees on the hills, so Fijj couldn't feed at all. "I promise we'll go soon," Aletha reassured him. "I need to be getting back to my parents soon anyway. I don't even know why I came here." Aletha thought that Aughra had been right; that she would come here to these hilltops and feel a spiritual connection to the long dead Gelfling astronomers and seers. _I haven't felt really much of anything coming here. It was just another excuse to leave the Castle and to be away from Jen and Kira_.

Her parents had treated her with kindness and always tried to be by her side. But now, Aletha was older. She wanted to be around other Gelfling her age; not her parents. _Is this truly how my parents felt before they met each other? Did they feel the loneliness like I do_? That was something Aletha wouldn't dare ask her parents. Both Jen's and Kira's parents had been killed in Garthim raids. Kira had shared those visions with her in their dreamfasting, and they were disturbing to think about. Jen was more reserved with his emotions, only dreamfasting with Aletha once in her entire life. Aletha was afraid of dreamfasting, because her mother always shared the same memories. Even though most were enjoyable, there was one "scene" where Kira's mother had been strangled to death in a Garthim's pinchers.

Aletha shuddered at the mental picture. The wind on the hillsides had gotten strong, blowing her dark golden hair in the opposite direction. She panicked as the wind had gotten stronger. Out of nowhere, a thunderstorm began to build up in the far horizon. She called for Fijj, who was growing impatient from the rumbles of thunder in the distance. Aletha mounted Fijj with ease, trying to calm him in the Podling language that her mother had taught her.

Gently, Aletha kicked at Fijj's sides, and he immediately went into a "gallop" on his stilted legs. Fijj moved easily through the hilled terrain, trained to travel in and over steep land. The thunder grew louder, and lightning flashed across the sky. Aletha was used to these sudden thunderstorms, since the Valley had an annual heavy rainfall.

A strong lightning flash made the sky glow. For a short instant, Aletha thought she had seen strange figures moving on the faraway hilltops.


	2. Chapter 2

Part I

2

Aletha traveled for nearly a day, her landstrider literally skimming through the Valley's terrain. The swamplands weren't so easy to transverse. Aletha had to let Fijj go around the swamps because the ground below was too mixed and muddy. The forest was full of living, breathing things. Odd creatures darted in and out. The ground would open up to only reveal the mouth of some stationed creature hoping to catch a meal. Bird-like animals flew from tree to tree, chirping in sounds that were reminiscent of a dying child.

Little, furry rat-like animals zoomed to the river to drink and then hide back in their burrows. Giant animals that were disguised as trees breathed harmlessly, yet loud enough for everything to hear. Salamander-like creatures fought amongst each other over territory or food supply.

_This was the type of environment that my mother was raised in_, thought Aletha. _The Podlings taught her how to listen and to communicate with nature. I can barely do that_. Even though the creatures paid the Gelfling no heed, Aletha enjoyed their loose companionship. She badly wanted to stay there, to listen to the calls of the animals, but she had other priorities at home. She had barely even visited the swamplands, knowing only how to cut across them as her mother taught her.

In the swamps, Aletha never felt completely alone. There were always creatures watching her, maybe even remembering that she was a Gelfling. All the strange animals appeared after a Great Conjunction nearly 1,000 years ago. After the Dark Crystal was cracked, chaos erupted throughout the Valley. The forests became alive, and the creatures came out of their hiding places. Life continued to evolve ever since, and the Valley's living beings flourished in a panorama of colors and odd behaviors.

The ground beneath Aletha's feet was boggy and unstable. She had some difficulty trying to lift her right foot over the other foot. _Damn_, she thought. _I should have gone around like I told Fijj_. Unfortunately, she wouldn't have been able to turn back now. Aletha stubbornly continued on through the mud path, brushing away the plant-like animals in front of her. After what seemed an eternity, there came an opening in the swamps. The ground beneath her became a little more firm, and was drier than the mud path that she had just taken. Trees and tree-like creatures still huddled around Aletha, preventing the Three Suns' light from breaking the canopy. Yet it was still bright enough for Aletha to see clearly.

"Huh?" Aletha gasped outloud. In the middle of the opening, there stood piled stones in straight formations nearly three or four times her height. She knew that those stones couldn't have been natural, as it would be odd to find giant formations in swamps that were naturally never there. Aletha went up to touch the stone spires. It felt cold to her touch, yet sparkled with the remaining light. "Sculpted Granite," whispered Aletha. Her father had taught her the different types of rocks found in the Valley, and Granite was one of the most common. Aughra had taught her that Granite was one of the most common building materials that the ancestral Gelfling had used. It was also very difficult to sculpt, but it was so common in the Valley, the Gelfling prospered its use.

There were very little Gelfling ruins left in the Valley; at least visible ruins, since the forests and swamps swallowed most of what remained of the old Gelfling houses and buildings. Pictograms lined all the way up one ruined spire, nearly 3 meters tall. There was no writing on any of the ruined formations, so there was nothing Aletha could read or translate from. The pictograms were very faint on the tall spire, yet Aletha could see they were pictures of Gelfling doing various activities. One scene caught her eye though. There were about four or five(not being able to clearly know since the stone was eroding) Gelfling figures running in an opposite direction. In back of those running Gelfling were giant figures, nearly twice the size of the victims, holding weapons that looked like spears and shields. _Tall_ Gelfling? Aletha wasn't sure if that's what the big figures were supposed to be, but they looked nothing like Skekses or Garthim. The next pictogram scene showed the small Gelfling lying on the ground, impaled with the spears that were jabbed into them.

All Gelfling were a peaceful people, from what Aughra had told her. Aughra certainly knew since she was very _old_, and had lived through three Great Conjunctions. Knowing that her rendezvous had taken quite a long time, Aletha continued her straight path out of the swamplands. Some time later she made it out of the covered swamp, and saw that Fijj was waiting there for her. He had been feasting on a tall coniferous plant to pass the time by. Once again, Aletha mounted Fijj and they were on their way.

A day later, Aletha came upon view of the Castle. The giant fortress touched the sky, its outer white skin bathed in the radiance of the light from the Three Suns.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I know it's been a while since I've updated this story. I originally only wrote 7 chapters and discontinued this story because it was going downhill. Unless I get reviews hint hint I'm not putting in the new(or should I say, old) chapters. I don't see the point. If you take the time to read it, you can take the time to review it. I'm not asking for long reviews but I only ask for reviews with some form of constructive criticism. I already had one retard leave a pointless review(more like a flame) that obviously didn't know what they were talking about. But since some people want me to continue it, I'll put up the third chapter. If I get to the point where I put up all 7 chapters, I'm gonna do a questionare type thing where I'll ask everyone overall on what they thought of it. Remember, I suck at plotlines but I was trying my best when I wrote this. Anyway, enjoy...and review.

Disclaimer: I don't own the world of The Dark Crystal; Brian Froud does. Aletha however, is my own character. :)

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Part I

3

"So what did you feel?" Aughra had asked the day after Aletha returned from her journey. Aletha was at a loss with her emotions, not really sure of how she felt. Both Aughra and Aletha were sitting in the central corridor of the Castle, in sight of the Crystal of Truth. Aletha's reflection was clear in the Crystal of Truth's interior, a mirror image that Aletha could never be. Aughra was sitting almost with her back angling against the ground. Her single eye was the only eye that Aughra had left, her other two lost long ago during the Great Conjunctions.

"I didn't feel anything," Aletha finally replied. Aughra's single eye narrowed. "You lie, Gelfling," spat the old hunched harridan. "When I sent both your mother and father to those hills years ago, they felt a connection. Kira said that she felt like some unknown entity was calling out to her. Jen had a similar experience, except he said he felt like the ground beneath was swallowing him. All the Gelfling I had known in the past centuries went to those hills; and all felt something unique. Why then, wouldn't you?"

Aletha could sense that Aughra was disappointed. The harridan's facial features had a puzzled look to them. Aughra struggled to get to her feet. Aletha held out a hand, insisting on helping Aughra get off the ground. But Aughra had made a "bahhh" sound, and shook the Gelfling's hand off.

"Fine," Aletha shouted. Her noise echoed off the walls of the giant corridor. "No, I didn't feel anything. But I saw _something_." Aughra paused in her movements, and slowly turned around. The disappointed look on her face had vanished, replaced by the look of confusion. "You _saw_?" The old harridan had put the emphasis on that last word, all in wonder and a sort of awe. Aughra never had any Gelfling say that they saw something on the hillsides, not in her almost immortal life. She was truly flabbergasted by the child's response.

"A storm came," Aletha continued, this time more quietly. To her surprise, her parents hadn't come running to see what was wrong. That eased her heart, knowing that her parents would cause even more of a raucous. "I don't know if what I saw was real or not. Thunder plays tricks on your eyes, flashing to make things light again when there was only darkness and rain. I was already traveling back home, riding Fijj through the twisting hills of the Valley. There was one flash…" Aletha paused, almost at a loss of words. _Why does this scare me now?_ she thought. _I never paid particular attention to it before_.

"Yes, there was one big flash. I saw some things moving out into the far distance when I looked back. I don't know what made me look back; my reaction was almost instinctual. I'm not sure how many there were of Them, maybe a couple or so. I don't know what They were." Aletha's eyes drifted towards the Crystal of Truth. She tried to avoid Aughra's haunting stare at all cost, afraid of what she might find in that single eye. To avoid it even better, Aletha walked out of the central corridor without ever saying another word.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own the world of the Dark Crystal; Brian Froud, Jim Henson, whoever the original creator is owns DC. But Aletha is my own character.

Author's Note: Uhm, yeah. Read and review. Still not continuing the series. I'll post the the three other chapters(originally 7 I had written in all) eventually. Maybe, if ever.

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Part I

4

Kira's eyes surveyed the land below her, spread out across the Valley. The Three Suns shined brightly across the sky, their rays reflecting the River that split the Valley in different halves. She sat atop her female landstrider named Asha, peering to see what was moving across the Valley. Her long blond hair blew with the easy wind. Kira knew her daughter approached from the back several minutes ago. She sensed her daughter's distress immediately without ever looking at her.

"Something troubles you Aletha," Kira said serenely. "Otherwise, why would you come and bother me?" Aletha gave a quick, almost silent gasp. "I'm sorry for bothering you mother, I'll just…"

"No, you'll stay," Kira interrupted in a bored tone. "I didn't mean it that way; at least, I didn't mean to offend you if that's what I did." Kira's eyes were still focused on the moving objects far out in the distance. She struggled to see accurately, with the sunlight blurring her vision.

_She won't look at me_, Aletha thought, tears coming into her eyes._ No one wants to look at me for some reason_. Aletha ran her hand up one of Asha's stilted legs, and she gave a warm purr at the touch of Aletha's hand.

"Do I disappoint you and father?" whispered Aletha, tears already streaming down her face. Her voice was raised to a dangerously aggressive tone. She nearly shouted so her mother would notice her. "Aughra clearly is disappointed by me, so why wouldn't you?" Aletha fought back her wailing, knowing that she could go down to the lower chambers of the Castle if she wanted to cry later. Kira swung her head around, surprised by her daughter's attitude. Her blue orbs stared straight into her daughter's dark eyes.

"When would_ I_ ever be disappointed with you Aletha?" she countered. Kira dismounted off her landstrider, and put her hands on Aletha's shoulders. "I don't understand what has been wrong with you recently. You seemed fine after coming back from the high hills a few days ago."

"Everyone is ignoring me," Aletha said, this time more quietly.

"For good reason," explained Kira. "There have been odd occurrences in the Valley this last week. Things, I don't know what, have been coming into the Valley from the northwest. Whatever They are, They've been coming in from the mountains. But since we're so isolated, there's only been me and your father investigating. Aughra doesn't bother to help. She is busy in the Castle Studies, reading and learning of past history that she foolishly already knows. Aughra does not need to learn more, since she knows everything." Kira's eyes bulged, as if she remembered something. "Speaking of Aughra, she told me everything you told her yesterday."

Aletha avoided her mother's gaze. "You saw Them during a stormy night, no?"

Aletha nodded her head. "Yes."

"Did They see you?"

"I don't think so."

"How long did you see Them for?"

"A short time, a couple of seconds maybe."

There was an awkward silence after their discussion ended. Aletha tried to get up and walk away, but her mother had never dismissed her. "Since you don't want to talk to anyone right now, how about you go survey the landscape for a couple of hours. You can take Fijj, and bring Fizzgig along. I know you miss his companionship." Kira almost thought she saw her daughter's face brighten to the mood, but it all disappeared as soon as it showed. Regardless, Kira grinned anyway.

"But," her mother warned, "Whatever you do, do not approach Them. Stay far away from Them, but get close enough to see Them from a safe distance. I have a feeling that whatever They are, They won't be friendly."


	5. Chapters 5, 6 and 7

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or The Dark Crystal; Brian Froud does I believe. Aletha however, is my own character and she does "belong" to me.

Author's Note: I know many have awaited more chapters for Strangers From Outside, so I just decided to upload the last three chapters. Originally, I wrote 7 chapters and then stopped for some reason. I guess I lost interest in writing this piece. For now, this is ALL the material I have ever written for this story. As you can tell, I think it went downhill...just didn't seem good to me, so that's probably why I stopped writing. Maybe one day I'll end up going back to it and writing a few more chapters. But right now, there are far more important things in life for me to worry about...writing my upcoming novel which probably won't be done for many, many years, and then working on my geology major in college.

But for the love of the gods, please read and review!

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5

"Come on Fizzgig," Aletha called to the little ball of fur standing below her landstrider. Fizzgig cried and whined; Aletha had expected Fizzgig to be stubborn. Fizzgig stared at the mounted Gelfling with his somber eyes. "Dammit, Fizzgig," swore Aletha. "Are you coming or not?" Fizzgig opened his jaws and began to cry again. _He's so loud_, she thought, covering her sensitive ears. The landstrider Fijj became nervous from the wailing Fizzgig, and made a snort of resentment.

"Come on Fizzgig, jump up." As soon as his wailing started, Fizzgig stopped and met his eyes with Aletha's. His look was of uncertainty. "Fizzgig, is something wrong?" Truly, Aletha didn't know why Fizzgig was misbehaving so much today. It was bad enough that Fizzgig tore up all of Jen's clothes, and then nearly destroyed Aughra's books in the Castle Studies. Aletha laughed at the thought of how both Aughra and Jen reacted to Fizzgig's vile behavior. Her father yelled loud enough for everyone and everything in the Castle to hear. Aughra simply threw all the torn up papers right back at Fizzgig.

"As old as you are boy, you still got the stuff." Fizzgig barked happily, and launched himself up onto Fijj's back. He settled comfortably on Fijj's warm skin. Kicking at Fijj's sides, the three of them were on their way. Aletha knew the Valley well, and decided to travel along the different forks of the River. The River's parts either ran through solid swamp, forest, or rolling hills. Knowing Fijj, Aletha decided to stick with surveying the hills, since that was where she first sighted Them.

Aletha rode for hours, well past noon and into early evening. The Three Suns wouldn't set for a couple more hours, so Aletha enjoyed her time out in the country. Eventually, her ride became boring, since she saw nothing in site. She had spotted no sign of Them, nor really much of anything. Fijj began to pant after several hours of riding.

"We'll stop for a rest," Aletha reassured him. "Go drink from the River." After dismounting Fijj, Aletha collapsed on the ground. Fizzgig ran up and cuddled beside her. The winds were strong that day, and blew the long, thin grasses that were glued to the hills. "This was a waste of time. Maybe it is better that I left though, so I can stay away from my parents and Aughra."

Aletha laid down in the soft hill-grass and day dreamed. She imagined herself living in the Castle at an early age, playing with other Gelfling. It was a soothing thought, to finally not be alone. The clouds slowly moved across the sky, making different shapes that might've resembled trees or swampland animals. Everything was oddly quiet, until...

Zzzzziiiiiiiinnnnnngggg!

Aletha woke with a gasp, knowing that something flew past her in the blink of an eye. Fizzgig barked uncontrollably, adding to the chaos that was beginning to wake. Aletha saw Fijj at the base of the River, with a long piece of wood stuck into his back. Fijj shrieked in agony as ten more wooded sticks zinged past. Aletha screamed as loud as she could, and blindly, began to run. She didn't bother to look at her landstrider, as he already fell dead.

6

Dark shapes followed behind, calling out in an unknown language. The figures had stopped shooting arrows, but pursued after the Gelfling girl escaped. There were about a six or seven of Them, very tall and erect. Unfortunately, Aletha couldn't see what these figures looked like since they were entirely cloaked. All of the tall hidden figures were female; Aletha could at least guess that. The only thing she was concerned with was getting to safety, wherever that was.

Fizzgig whimpered, cradled in Aletha's arms. _They killed my landstrider_, she thought. _If they killed my landstrider, now They're going to kill me_. Tears flowed freely from Aletha's eyes. She didn't know why these strangers were trying to kill her, let alone know what they looked like. There was no where she could run though, since there were no rocks, foliage, or any form of hiding place that would provide ample cover. Aletha didn't bother to turn back, knowing if she did she would probably die.

Her small Gelfling legs couldn't go much farther, and soon she began walking up and down the mounted terrain. She struggled to breathe, panting and panting and panting. She halted her movement, and looked back toward the horizon. The figures who had followed her stopped pursuing, but They stood visible in the sunlight. One of the figures rode on an odd creature with horns and a body of fur, but that was all Aletha could make out.

Hours passed, and Aletha continued to walk among the rolling hills of the Valley. To her annoyance and caution, the figures began to follow her, from a safe distance. Aletha stopped caring, knowing that one of Their arrows could easily pierce through her heart. Fizzgig followed behind, not making a sound. Yet he continued to look back more than Aletha did, to see if the figures were moving or not.

Aletha could distantly hear Their voices. The language the dark shapes spoke was no where near being similar to Gelfling or Podling. It sounded much more complex, almost modern. The Gelfling language was thousands of years old, almost unchanged from the time the Gelfling had moved into the Valley. The Podling language changed constantly, almost a dozen dialects spoken by different Podling clans in the Valley. Aletha held no trust for the strangers. _They killed Fijj so I couldn't get away. They want me in their sight_. So Aletha mused.

The Three Suns were beginning to set. The sky was turning almost black, and some of the stars were visible in the early night. Aletha would be practically alone in the dark, not knowing if she would survive to the morning.

7

The stars bathed their twinkling lights across the skies of Thra. The wind didn't blow too harshly, but still added to the cold of the night. Aletha had traveled enough to get out of the hillsides, and camped near the River. Fizzgig huddled right next to her, giving her what comfort the little creature had. "I'm hungry," Aletha whispered. "Mother or father should have come to find me right about now."

An hour earlier, Aletha had given up on her trek across the Valley. It would take her a few days to get home on foot, that is, if she survived that long. There was the constant fear of the strangers always looking over her, always watching her feeble form. Aletha shuddered at that thought, thinking of those tall, dark beings. She still didn't know who or what They were, or why They were in the Valley at all. To Aletha's luck, she found a small outcropping of rocks beside a fork in the River. It wasn't much shelter, but it may have been enough to shield her from the figures' sight.

As the night wore on, the weather continued to be a hassle. Aletha knew how to start a fire, but didn't dare so in the fact that the strangers might find her. Fizzgig was her only means of warmth, so she continued to hug him in his sleep. _I don't dare sleep_, Aletha feared. _Those things could get me; snatch me up underneath Their cloaks. They are probably very few in the Valley, maybe not more than twenty of them. But They could still get me and take me away. And I have nothing to protect me_. Although Aletha knew that wasn't completely true; Fizzgig was still with her.

Aletha stared wonderingly at the stars. She became entranced in their light, their constant twinkling in the heavens. The thought of watching made her feel exhausted for the first time. She fought not to close her eyes, but it was so tempting. Finally, Aletha gave up and closed her eyes like Fizzgig had done. She wasn't sure if she dreamed or not, but she felt like someone or something was approaching her quietly. Before she could react, several hands grabbed around her body. Aletha woke with a scream, but the hands fighting against her prevented that scream from coming out fully.

The strangers had caught her, Aletha thought for sure. _Kill me now_, she cried in her thoughts. _Kill me now so I can get it over with_. Aletha kicked non-stop, trying to escape the ropes the dark figures were trying to get around her. She opened her mouth to try and scream again, but a cloth was gagged into her mouth and tied around the back of her head.

She could hear Fizzgig barking, growling, and panicking. One of the strangers kicked the poor animal, and Fizzgig went into an uncontrollable whimper. Aletha's hands and legs were bound together, and Fizzgig was being held by his tail. Before Aletha could think about some form of escape, blackness suddenly came to her in the form of a plague.


End file.
